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Running frig before trip

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echo11

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Running frig before trip
« on: February 04, 2012, 10:39:29 am »
I have not yet "pre-cooled" the refrigerator before leaving on trips.

I would like to turn on the frig the night before an upcoming trip.  Is it better to run the frig on electric or propane?  Does it matter? 

I will be able to plug the motorhome into an electric outlet if needed.  Also, should the battery be turned on while the frig cools overnight?

Thanks- Roni
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billy

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2012, 10:48:53 am »
We've tired all different ways. During the cold days I don't turn it on, it's cold enough. When close to electric I use it, when not propane. I think (there I go again, thinking) the batteries need to be on for the frig to work? If you turn the batteries off they will drain. Just an opinion. billy
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gradygal

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2012, 12:11:41 pm »
We keep bottles of frozen water in the home freezer. Before our trip, we put the ice bottles in the PC freezer and fridge to cool it down as well as plug into the house electric. The ice helps the fridge cool down faster. Given that we are in Florida, it gets very hot in  the Coach. Don't know if that's the right way but that's what we do.

The battery switch is on. We save the propane for when we are away.

Judi
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kevin

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2012, 12:19:53 pm »
Linda turns on the fridge a couple days prior to leaving on an extended trip and we load the freezer with the frozen fooders we have precooked.  She keeps the fridge set on auto, I think---oops, I almost forgot I'm not supposed to think---. I usually stop in at the LP place that delivers our home propane & top off the PC tank with a whole gal or two of LP.  They have told me I could probably go a month or more before needing more if fridge is only thing on.  Linda has a system for what settings the fridge gets dialed to depending on if we are driving or sitting & I don't mess with it.  In a small environment where systems can easily get out of whack, we each take control of certain widgets & other ones we may share.  Maybe a holdover from a sailboat where it may be good to know how everything works; but, that doesn't mean you don't respect the agreed upon/assigned tasks & responsibilities.  We usually get fresh veggies on the way past the store.

For us, taking our time loading keeps the process a lot more relaxed.
kevin



















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Barry-Sue

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2012, 04:03:22 pm »
In the warm weather we usually turn ours on a few hours before or the night before, on electric.  If you are not plugged in and you want to use propane on the frig then the battery needs to be on.
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lghjr

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2012, 11:29:57 pm »
Quote from: echo11 on February 04, 2012, 10:39:29 am
I have not yet "pre-cooled" the refrigerator before leaving on trips.

I would like to turn on the frig the night before an upcoming trip.  Is it better to run the frig on electric or propane?  Does it matter? 

I will be able to plug the motorhome into an electric outlet if needed.  Also, should the battery be turned on while the frig cools overnight?

Thanks- Roni

Just me but I cool down on propane to make sure it works and the spiders haven't put webs in the gas burner mixing pipe.  If they do it won't work, trust me, happened once each refer and hot water heater.  Once cooled down I switch to elec at home til we leave.  Those webs require an almost complete tear down to get them out, I have tried compressed air and vacuum and neither worked completely.
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bobander

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2012, 12:46:18 pm »
Quote from: lghjr on February 04, 2012, 11:29:57 pm
Just me but I cool down on propane to make sure it works and the spiders haven't put webs in the gas burner mixing pipe.  If they do it won't work, trust me, happened once each refer and hot water heater.  Once cooled down I switch to elec at home til we leave.  Those webs require an almost complete tear down to get them out, I have tried compressed air and vacuum and neither worked completely.

This is a great tip, I too have had to tear down to clean out spider webs in a water heater after discovering it during first use on the road.  I will now check both refer and water heater on propane before leaving home.

Thanks, Bob
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TomHanlon

Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2012, 04:16:24 pm »
Here on the east coast, we also get stink bugs that like to fill the propane tubes on the water heaters and the refrigerators. Good tip to run both before any trips. Thanks
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pyrthkr

Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2012, 02:09:47 pm »
Like many of you - we cool the frig down while loading, usually the day before & plugged in to the house 110.  Our Norcold seems to stay between 30-34 degrees at setting 1 or 2 once we get going.  No complaints about the freezer section either.  We travel w/it on AUTO & manually shut it (& water heater - if on) down when fueling.  I'll have to remember though, to give the burners a try before traveling - good idea. 2o2
 :cool
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echo11

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2012, 04:54:48 pm »
Thanks for all the replys. 

I will probably plug in and use the electric at our house to cool the frig before a trip.  Should the battery be turned on or doesn't it matter?  I wasn't sure if, once plugged into electric, if it would help charge the battery?  For some reason, I think it should be on- but wasn't sure.

Also, thanks for the reminder to check the propane burners.  While traveling, we do run the frig on auto, which uses the propane.

I also wanted to thank everyone again for making this a "safe" place to ask questions.
Roni

 
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lghjr

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2012, 05:27:34 pm »
Roni,
I don't think the fridge will run on gas or electric without the batteries being on.  I am kinda going on memory on the PC but I know for sure on a couple others I have had the battery had to be on.
L. G.
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bobander

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2012, 07:53:49 pm »
Roni,

If plugged in, the batteries can be disconnected for the refer to operate on 110V; if unplugged, the batteries need to be connected for the refer to operate on LP.  The refer control needs 12v DC to operate; it gets that 12v Dc from the converter when plugged in even with the battereis disconnected; when disconnected, the batteries must be connected to supply 12v Dc to the refer control.

Bob
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TomHanlon

Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2012, 08:20:43 pm »
Bob is right about the need for 12v when on LPG. The spark to light the flame is from the 12v. When you plug in, the batteries automatically come one. Try turning them off at the switch by the door when plug in. You can't get the light to go out.
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bobander

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Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2012, 09:01:13 pm »
Quote from: TomHanlon on February 06, 2012, 08:20:43 pm
Bob is right about the need for 12v when on LPG. The spark to light the flame is from the 12v. When you plug in, the batteries automatically come one. Try turning them off at the switch by the door when plug in. You can't get the light to go out.

Ron Tom,

I hate to disagree, but I have found that the batteries are in fact disconnected even if the light stays on.  I was scratching my head over that light and decided to track it down; I took the passenger side bed support off (2551) and checked with my volt meter.  The light is connected to the 110V AC converter side of the disconnecting solenoid, so that even with the solenoid disconnecting the batteries, the light stays on if plugged into shore power.  The light goes out if you disconnect when not plugged in.

You can verify this by turning on the inverter and watching the battery voltage when operating the disconnect switch while plugged into shore power.  If the batteries are in need of charge, you will see close to 14v with the batteries connected, and the voltage will drop when you operate the disconnect switch indicating that the batteries are not connected to the system.

When I am connected to shore power, I like to disconnect the batteries after a few days to be sure they are not over charged (probably not necessary with the three stage charger/converter).  Since the light stays on, I just listen for the solenoid to operate when pushing the disconnect ("store") switch.

Bob



« Last Edit: February 07, 2012, 07:18:43 am by bobander »
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TomHanlon

Re: Running frig before trip
« Reply #14 on: February 07, 2012, 04:01:05 pm »
Bob is correct again and I stand corrected. I called Kermit and he confirmed that when connected to shore power (120v) and the switch by the door is in the use position the batteries are connected, but when you put the switch into the store position the batteries are no longer connected or charging, yet the light stays on. He also said that it is OK to leave the couch plugged in full time because the converter will go into a maintenance mode once the batteries are fully charged. He said that the refrigerator needs 12 v to start the flame.

Bob, Thank you for correcting me, I learned something new today. :)(:
« Last Edit: February 07, 2012, 04:04:12 pm by TomHanlon »
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